by our College Data Analytics TeamWhen pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking is part of that endeavor. This list may shock you as many typically expensive schools are very generous with need-based financial aid.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
We analyzed 40 schools across Iowa to determine which have the best value programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best value schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking, we first consider its average net price of students from families making $0-$30k a year. The net price is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Iowa State University to be the best value (income $0-$30k) school in Iowa in this year’s ranking. This large public school is located in Ames, Iowa.
Not only is Iowa State University a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,148.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list means University of Northern Iowa is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Not only is University of Northern Iowa a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $10,720.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Des Moines Area Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. This large public school is located in Ankeny, Iowa.
Not only is Des Moines Area Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #11 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,582.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list means University of Iowa is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Iowa is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $13,772.
A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list means Grinnell College is a great place for students working on their degree. Grinnell, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Grinnell College a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,470.
Iowa Central Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. Located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Iowa Central Community College is ranked #23 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,459.
Marshalltown Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. Marshalltown Community College is a public institution located in Marshalltown, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Marshalltown Community College is ranked #33 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $5,330.
Kirkwood Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #8. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large public school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Not only is Kirkwood Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #27 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,670.
Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. Western Iowa Tech Community College is located in Sioux City, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Western Iowa Tech Community College is ranked #29 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,662.
Southeastern Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. Southeastern Community College is a public institution located in West Burlington, Iowa.
Not only is Southeastern Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #38 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,923.
Northeast Iowa Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #11. Northeast Iowa Community College is a small public school located in Calmar, Iowa.
Not only is Northeast Iowa Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #28 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $7,220.
Indian Hills Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. IHCC is a public institution located in Ottumwa, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Indian Hills Community College is ranked #34 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,232.
Maharishi International University landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Fairfield, Iowa.
Maharishi International University has the honor of being ranked #6 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,553.
With a ranking of #14, Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. This small public school is located in Sheldon, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northwest Iowa Community College is ranked #30 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,847.
Iowa Western Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #15. Council Bluffs, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Iowa Western Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #21 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $10,148.
North Iowa Area Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. North Iowa Area Community College is a small public school situated in Mason City, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, North Iowa Area Community College is ranked #39 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $5,867.
Hawkeye Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #17. Waterloo, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Hawkeye Community College is ranked #32 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $8,728.
Eastern Iowa Community College District ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is located in Davenport, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Eastern Iowa Community College District is ranked #36 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,260.
Read full value report on Eastern Iowa Community College District
Coe College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. Coe College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Coe College is ranked #18 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,451.
With a ranking of #20, Southwestern Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. Southwestern Community College is a small public school located in Creston, Iowa.
Southwestern Community College has the honor of being ranked #37 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $8,647.
Loras College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa list. Loras is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa.
Loras College has the honor of being ranked #13 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $15,470.
Simpson College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Indianola, Iowa.
Not only is Simpson College a great value, but it is also ranked #12 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $16,374.
Buena Vista University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #23. Buena Vista University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Storm Lake, Iowa.
Not only is Buena Vista University a great value, but it is also ranked #19 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $14,607.
Wartburg College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. Wartburg is located in Waverly, Iowa and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Wartburg College a great value, but it is also ranked #16 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $15,460.
Luther College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa ranking. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decorah, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Luther College is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $18,770.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.